“Pembroke.”
Anne did not look up, though her movements slowed just enough to suggest she had registered the third presence in the space.
Pembroke’s gaze moved briefly between them before settling on the Duke.
“I need a word,” he said simply.
“Of course.”
And then they were gone.
* * *
Dorian did not know what his steward wanted, and he never would have refused a servant who needed him, but frankly speaking, he did not want to leave Lady Anne.
She was captivating in a way he had never known a lady to be, and stubborn as hell. Though he did not want to admit it, he was enjoying their time together. It would make for an easier marriage if they did not hate one another, but even then, it didnot feel as though they hated one another. What they shared was friendly, albeit fragile, and that was something he wished to maintain.
He stepped away from her and the horse, following Pembroke out of the stables and into the yard, where the sound of horses and straw softened. Only when they were a sufficient distance away did Pembroke stop.
“If this is about the training schedule?—”
“It is not,” Pembroke interrupted quietly.
That alone was enough to make Dorian’s attention sharpen.
Pembroke studied him for a moment longer, his expression measured in the way of a man choosing his words carefully rather than reacting to emotion.
“I hear you are marrying for convenience,” he said.
“That is not news.”
“It was to me, and I cannot say that it is the wisest decision. You may convince yourself that this arrangement is under control and that you have accounted for every outcome and nothing can touch you beyond what you permit, but that does not make you invincible.”
Dorian’s expression remained steady, but he was already feeling defensive. He knew that the situation was precarious, and though he trusted his steward, he did not need anyone telling him what to do.
“You are already permitting more than you realize,” Pembroke added.
Silence stretched between them. A faint sound carried out of the stables. It was Lady Anne’s voice, low and steady as she spoke to Diamond, grounding him with the same ease she had always managed.
Dorian did not look back. In truth, he was wondering if he would ever be able to call the horse by the name he had chosen, or if his future wife would refuse.
He shook his head slightly. He was supposed to be the one who told his wife what was happening, not the other way around. If he wished to change the name of a horse he had bought, then he had every right to.
Pembroke’s voice dropped slightly. “Marrying for convenience is dangerous enough. Marrying while vulnerable will ruin you entirely.”
“You need not assume that I am vulnerable.”
“I am not assuming you are anything. I know for a fact that you are a duke, but you are also human. There is only so much that can be done to fight against that.”
With that, he turned to leave, his warning delivered.
Dorian remained standing in the yard, the sound of Anne’s voice still faintly carrying through the open doors.
For the first time since they had agreed to the arrangement, he wondered just how much of a fight could possibly lie ahead of him.
CHAPTER 7
The chapel doors opened from within the side corridor, and Anne heard everything.
